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Garmin, Furuno take top marine electronics awards

The marine electronics industry honored several manufacturers with product awards at the annual International Marine Electronics Conference & Expo, held Sept. 26-28 in Bellevue, Washington.

Garmin was named 2017 NMEA Manufacturer of the Year for support of its products in the field.

The 2017 NMEA Technology Award went to Furuno’s DFF3D deep-water multi-beam sonar in a competition involving 10 nominated products. This annual award scores new products based on innovation, benefit to boaters, practicality and value. An independent four-person panel of judges selected the winner.

“What stood out about the Furuno DFF3D from the many worthy contenders is that it is the industry’s first deep-water multi-beam sonar,” the judges wrote. “It delivers a side-scan range of more than 650 feet and can see straight down to over 1,000 feet. Its unique 165 kHz frequency allows you to view the DFF3D sonar while simultaneously utilizing your conventional or CHIRP sonar. On top of that, boaters can customize its display using four modes-cross-section, 3D sounder history, triple/single-beam sounder and side scan.”

There were 18 product categories this year, including two new ones: Marine PC Software and Remote Vessel Monitoring System. The 2017 NMEA Product of Excellence Award winners are: